Despite the consummate success the hockey team tasted at the Olympics and its illustrious history, the supreme court has spurned a PIL to name it as the national game of India
Where India were a powerhouse of hockey back in the 1970s-80s, the country dwindled and waned in form in the subsequent years. The side was a meek shadow of the worldclass setup it used to be, a team which needed 41 years to end its drought at the Olympics.
The bronze medal the Indian hockey team brought home from the games in Tokyo earlier this year alluded towards Indian hockey slowly regaining its stature. While the journey to ruling towards the world is still a lengthy and grueling one, the win over Germany in the third placed showdown was a testament towards the uptick the sport is on in the country.
Supreme Court Refuses To Entertain PIL To Name Hockey As The National Game Of India
And in the aftermath of the bronze medal win, Advocate Vishal Tiwari went onto file a PIL in the Supreme Court to declare hockey as the national game of India. However, the petitioner saw his public interest litigation refused to be entertained the by the bench comprising of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Bela Trivedi. They cited MC Mark Kom’s example and said ‘there should be a drive within people’ and that people need to rise above the adversities.
Vishal Tiwari had also implored the Central Government and sports authorities in India to work towards the betterment of sports apart from cricket. However, he’s now gone onto withdraw his PIL after being asked by the Supreme Court to do so or it would be dismissed.
India had defeated Germany 5-4 in Tokyo with goals from Simranjeeet Singh, Hardik Singh, Rupinderpal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh seeing the country end its barren run at the Olympics. The government at the centre spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi had gone onto rename the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in a tribute to the legendary hockey player.
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